Time to get league seasons started

Junior Hayley Benker and the Florence Huskies are set to start Tri-Peaks League play at 7 p.m. today when the ninth-ranked TCA Titans come to town. (Lisa Rix/Courtesy Photo)

Brandon Hopper

If the weather outside is too chilly for you, beeline for a high school gym where things are just about to heat up.

It happens every year at this time, teams begin to play meaningful games when they return from Christmas break. Pre-league games provide a good indication of how skilled teams are, but what really matters is how teams perform in conference play.

Florence will get its Tri-Peaks League feet wet today when they entertain The Classical Academy. The Huskies girls will have a perfect-so-far Titans squad to deal with. The Huskies girls struggled to a 2-4 pre-Christmas record but are hoping the three-week break from games will change some of that.

Carly Chaney's 9.3 points per game leads the Huskies. The Titans are 5-0 and ranked ninth in the latest polls. They will be led into the doghouse by CheyAnn Queener and her 12.2 points per game. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

On the Florence boys side, Mark Marquez and his crew are 2-3 after dropping their first three of the season. Josh Sisneros and Jeremy Nelson, who are each averaging 13-plus points per game, lead them. TCA (3-2) will host Florence at 7 p.m. today.

The Cañon City teams don't start South-Central League play until Jan. 15, but they'll play another non-league game today.

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The boys (3-7) will be on the road to play ninth-ranked Wasson (7-1) at 7 p.m. Cañon City has had some devastatingly close losses, so a big upset win would go a long way at boosting the team's confidence. It would certainly catch my eye.

It hasn't been a secret since last year that to beat the Tigers, teams need to contain Gunner Javernick, who's averaging 18.6 points and 9.1 rebounds per game this season.

Locally speaking, the Cañon City Tigers girls are the best team -- and not much of a debate can be had. They're 8-2 and ranked eighth in the latest Denver Post coaches poll. Though, they haven't beaten any real good opponents yet.

There's a big red star on Jan. 18 of my calendar, when the Tigers host No. 2-ranked Pueblo South -- that's when I'll form my opinion of what this team is made of -- but, for now, they're still playing the Wassons of the world.

The Thunderbirds enter today's 7 p.m. game at the Tiger Dome with a 2-3 record. If leading scorers Nicole Archambeau (12.9), Lindsey Schwab (12.5) and Nicole Decker (9.3) are on their game, Wasson shouldn't pose a threat.